Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky

A statewide coalition seeking to see at least a dollar increase in the state cigarette tax is stressing the health problems associated with smoking during pregnancy. A leader in the effort still believes the proposed tax hike could get a vote in the current legislative session.

A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking in Kentucky is launching Wednesday in Frankfort. Led by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Baptist Health, at the top of the coalition’s to-do list is to raise the cigarette tax to $1.60 a pack. That’s a $1 increase over the current rate.

A new report shows just how far Appalachia has fallen behind the rest of the country on key health measures such as rates of cancer, heart disease and infant mortality. Researchers say the region’s health gap is growing and they hope the data they’ve compiled will spur new approaches to health care.

A health advocacy group in Kentucky is reacting to the health care plan approved by the Republican-controlled U.S. House. The bill dismantles core aspects of the Affordable Care Act, including the employer and individual mandates.

The number of emergency room visits in Kentucky hasn’t gone up much since Medicaid expanded or people started getting coverage on the individual market. That’s according to a new report from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.